A Start
by Izumi-chan
Summary: Well, I'm trying my hand at hp fics... Give me some feedback. R&R.


A Start  
  
Hello people. I'm going to try my hand at writing Harry Potter fics. This is my first time but I assure you it won't be my last, no matter how badly I do! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. It's one with chapters…. And YES cliffhangers.   
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah. I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. Blah, blah, blah. Get on with the story.   
  
Warning: This fic has slight romance in it…ok maybe more than I even considered and it hints at a development in *possibly* a Ginny/Malfoy relationship in favor of my friend and a Harry/Cho relationship. Read at your own risk. I'm NOT responsible for any sickness caused by reading this fic.   
  
Ages: Harry/15 Hermoine/15 Ron/15 Cho/16 Ginny/13 Malfoy/15  
  
"What now Pig? Can't you see I'm sleeping?" muttered Ron darkly at Pigwidgeon, his owl.  
The moon hung in the starlit sky as twilight was fast approaching. Pig's small body fluttered in mid-air as its feathers shone in the illumination of the moon. He was ecstatic as always. A letter in yellow parchment with a rather sprawled penmanship addressed to Ron floated in the air for a moment as if unsure of its destination and deposited itself right into Ron's lap. Pig started squawking loudly. Its size was no indication of his ability in volume.  
"Shut up Pig or Mum and Dad will hear you! What will they say about receiving letters at this time in the wee hours of the night? Go get yourself some seeds from your cage. Can't you take care of yourself?"  
Ron was rather vexed at being woken up this late explaining his impatience with Pig. Without a thought, he greedily opened up the parchment excitedly. It was the letter he had been expecting for what seemed like a very long time. Harry had written to him. All this summer, no letters were ever returned but then again, Harry's Uncle, Uncle Vernon must have been monitoring Harry's every single move. Ron moved put the letter down and opened his window as a warm breeze greeted him. He picked up the letter and sat by his window, reading it by the light of the moonlight. It read:  
  
Dear Ron,   
  
Sorry I haven't been writing to you lately. Hermoine wrote me letters as well but my uncle forbade me to respond or he would confiscate Hedwig and lock her up in the closet under the stairs. Well, he let down his guard recently so I wrote to you as soon as I dared to. Something's on his mind but I won't bother with it for now. Dudley's been a real pig lately and he's starting to look like a rhinoceros although in my opinion he's pretty much an elephant already. Those are zoo animals in the muggle world of course but the next thing he'll evolve to be is probably one of the dragons we saw last year at the Triwizard tournament. The diet plan has obviously failed. You'll never guess what my aunt and uncle gave me this year for my birthday present. A melted candle! That's an actual improvement from a piece of cardboard from previous years before. Speaking of which, thanks for those delicious fruitcakes and the invisible ink. Thank your mum for me, I'm awfully grateful since I don't get fed much and don't eat much anyway. I'm so nervous about going back to Hogwarts. Everything's changed so much after the Triwizard tournament. I still can't get over the shock. It was terrible yet remarkable at the same time. Oh, and I think I can actually go to the burrow for the two weeks before school starts. It's the same dilemma for my uncle as last year. He would be getting me off his hands but I'd be enjoying myself. I think he's going to give in though, though I'm not positively sure. It's because of the thing that's bothering him, I think. Otherwise, since he found out that Sirius was not a serial killer, he probably wouldn't have let me go. He said he would give me his word tomorrow and not to get my hopes up too high. I'll send word if he agrees and if he doesn't, I don't know how'll I'll survive the rest of this summer. Say hi to your whole family for me. Please respond, I'm dreadfully bored and I would not like to spend another fortnight with the Dursleys.  
  
Harry  
  
"Extra long letter," muttered Ron, "must be something on his mind. I'll write back to him in the morning."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Ron stroked his chin with his feather quill and began:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I know this may annoy you but that was one of the longest letters you have ever written to me. Is everything all right? I mean, is anything bothering you? I am your best friend, Harry. In any case, Mum says you are more than welcome to come to the burrow. If your uncle lets you, I'll see you at their fireplace at 5:00 tomorrow. Were coming for you whether your uncle approves or not because you simply cannot live like this for another fortnight. This time we'll be on time. I hope your fireplace isn't boarded up again? My Dad is making sure and double-checking that Fred and George don't have any of those toffees again. Remember what happened last year? I think I nearly doubled over with laughter when I found out what happened. Hermoine is arriving today so you needn't worry about sending her a letter unless you already did. See you soon.   
  
Ron  
  
P.S.: My mother is sending a request for permission by mail again.  
  
Ron addressed the letter to Harry and tied it onto Pig's claw and Pig was off.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Harry was sitting miserably at the foot of his trunk. He had written a letter to Ron as a desperate cry of help so that he could talk to Ron. The Dursleys were sufferable after Harry had become accustomed to how they treated him so that wasn't the problem. Ron's family was hospitable and he was going there again this year. He really needed to. His thoughts were interrupted when a voice clamored down from the living room.  
"HARRY, GET YOUR BLOODY SELF DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"  
"Uncle Vernon" Harry sighed as he dragged himself down the stairs and trudged into the living room.   
"First off, what in the devil's name is wrong with that dumpy Weasley and her family? She's sent another one of her notorious envelopes absolutely covered in postage stamps yet again! I warned you Harry. Now the mailman is suspicious about the people we are associated with after this has happened twice. The Weasleys asked for permission to take you over to their house. I, forbid you to go and I also forbid you to associate with such a disgusting family for the rest of the summer. Do you hear me?"  
Dudley sat on a sofa with a big smile of satisfaction plastered across his face. Aunt Petunia just pursed her lips as she nervously blinked on the têtê.  
"Whatever," Harry replied casually as he made note to himself that the fireplace was boarded up more than last year. Uncle Vernon made a grunt of disapproval and sent Harry to his room without lunch for showing "such lack of respect to the people that were raising him". Harry shut his door and sat down on his bed. He took out a piece of parchment and his eagle feather quill as he started to write a reply to Ron.  
  
Dear Ron,  
  
Uncle Vernon blew his top and told me I couldn't go to the burrow after he received your mother's letter. The fireplace is boarded up extra since last year's incident so I hope you can manage. My trunk's all packed up and I'm ready to go-Can't wait! By the way, I hope you won't mind Hedwig staying with Pig for now since I'm coming tonight.  
  
Harry  
  
He sealed up the letter and gave it to Hedwig, Harry's owl.  
"Hedwig, you stay at Ron's ok? I'm going there tonight. See you soon." And with that, Hedwig was off.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
At 5:00, Harry heard a great crash and proceeded to go to the living room and investigate. He leapt down the stairs and arrived at the scene. Déjà vu. Last year's catastrophe was almost the same. Mr. Weasley was standing there and made no intention this time of socializing with the muggles and their appliances he made his statement quick and to the point.  
"Whether you like it or not Mr. Dursley, we are taking Harry to our home. You will be relieved of our duties for him for the rest of the summer, as we will see to it that he safely boards his train to school. Fred and George, please go and get Harry's trunk.  
Uncle Vernon was hovered in one corner with aunt Petunia behind him and Dudley behind her. They were anxious to be rid of these magic people and Harry in fear that he wands would suddenly turn on them.  
Ron, with laughing eyes grabbed Harry's wrist and drew him near the fire. Mr. Weasley let Ron and Harry go ahead.  
"The Burrow!" Ron shouted and he disappeared in the emerald fire.  
"The Burrow!" Harry shouted in accordance as he jumped into the fire.  
Floo powder was the way they were using to travel. Harry landed on his bottom in the Weasley's kitchen. Ron was already getting up on his feet as Fred and George arrived with Harry's trunk and Mr. Weasley appeared on his feet.  
"Luckily, this year's trip went as smoothly as possible." Commented Mr. Weasley. Everyone joined in a chorus of laughter.  
"Hi Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for having me. You don't know how grateful I am."  
"Well, Harry, you know you're always welcome here," Replied Mrs. Weasley "Ron, why don't you get Harry and his trunk to your room?"  
Ron led the way and Harry followed suit. Hermoine and Ginny tagged behind. It was a long and silent walk as they reached the top of the stairs. Harry and Hermoine entered as Ron shut the door before Ginny could enter.  
"Don't try anything Ginny, you go away and mind your own business!" Ron shouted  
The sound of retreating footsteps and silence followed.  
"Ron! How could you treat your sister like that? I've never seen you so angry!"  
Harry was interested and added "Yeah! Why would you do that Ron?"  
Ron sighed and slumped his shoulders in a bit of shame.  
"It's a long story. So sit down and listen."  
Harry and Hermoine took their seats on two of the four beds squeezed into the tiny room as Ron walked to the window.   
"You see, the enemy we all know has caused us all so much trouble and embarrassment. Both of you know he is. It is of course, Draco Malfoy. I hate him as much as both of you do and when I found out, I was really disgusted. It's really because Ginny has a stupid schoolgirl crush on him and she's afraid I'll tell him, as if!"  
Harry and Hermoine burst into fits of giggles and laughter. Hermoine gasped for breath as she recomposed herself.  
"Oh Ron, you do take things too seriously. Ginny's fourteen. Her opinion of Malfoy is just temporary. I'm quite sure she'll move on to some other boy at Hogwarts. I mean, she was latched on to Harry at one time!"  
"I refuse to have Malfoy as a brother in law!"  
"Ron, stop thinking so far ahead! Hermoine's right, you know. People's ideals change all the time!"  
"O.K. fine. Now Harry, tell us what is wrong with you! You're letter sounded so dismal."  
"I haven't been quite myself lately, but I'm fine!"  
"No you aren't, Harry. There's no use arguing with me."  
"Fine. But I'm telling you not to tell anyone or laugh or anything. Just hear me through."  
"Harry, were your best friends. You can tell us anything." Ron reassured him.  
"Well, alright. It goes back to the disaster at the Triwizard tournament. I was always having these tiny thoughts in my head that I should be glad that Cedric died because that meant he wouldn't be with Cho. I have never told both of you about whom I cared for and now I have. It's Cho. It drove me crazy to see her so depressed at Cedric's death. I have accepted the fact that she did like Cedric Diggory, but I would like to be a person that she really cared for, as much as Cedric. I have managed just to drive the thoughts of being happy that Cedric is dead, but that's about all have accomplished. I assure you both this is not one of those crushes that Ginny is experiencing but I really do care for her."  
Ron and Hermoine were at loss for words. Did Harry really have these feelings for Cho?  
Ginny was outside the door about to notify them that it was time for dinner but she heard Harry's last line and it made her blood boil. She thought, "So Harry thinks I just have a crush on Draco does he? Augh. Boys don't understand love when it's right underneath their noses. But that can be a good thing." She proceeded to knock the door and tell them it was time for dinner.  
  
A/N: I don't even know what I think of this so far but I'm edging close to a "it sucks". It really does. Please read and review to tell me what you think of it and whether I should continue or add or change some things.   



End file.
